Dual wall fabric with reinforcing strands



June 30, 1970 T, HAYES EIAL DUAL WALL FABRIC WITH REINFORCING STRANDS 2Shee 'tsSheet 1 Filed Oct. 1., 1968 r .m ss mw mm E G T m H mm DnATTORNEYS.

June 30, 1970 J. T. HAYES T DUAL WALL FABRIC WITH REINFORCING STRANDSFiled Oct. 1, 1968 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. John T. Hayes Robert G.Currier Mia/ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,517,707 DUAL WALL FABRIC WITH REINFORCING STRANDSJohn T. Hayes, Durham, and Robert G. Currier, Roxboro, N.C., assignorsto Collins and Aikman Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 702,925, Feb. 5,1967. This application Oct. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 764,138

Int. Cl. D03d 11/00 US. Cl. 139-410 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA dual wall fabric is provided, with integrally woven warp directiondrop threads which extend back and forth a plurality of times betweenopposed fabric layers, when the fabric layers are spaced by warpwiseextending spacing gauges. The connecting or drop threads engage or looparound weft threads disposed above and below the gauges adjacentassociated fabric layers, with the weft threads being supported by thegauges prior to removal of the fabric material from the gauges. Thefabric material can be expanded upon removal from the gauges, in amanner utilizing weft and warp strands as reinforcin strands.

RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of our earlier filedapplication, Ser. No. 702,925, filed Feb. 5, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the weaving industry, it has long beenknown to weave dual wall fabrics, wherein opposed fabric layers wereconnected by strands of thread or the like. In some instances, suchconnecting strands have comprised integrally woven warp directionstrands, such that the entire fabric including connecting strands couldbe woven on a single loom, as part of a unitary operation. In weavingdual wall fabric, gauges are often used to maintain the preliminaryspacing between opposed fabric layers to a predetermined height, whichspacing may be increased upon removal of the fabric material from thegauges. However, it has generally been necessary, either immediatelyprior to or subsequent to removal of the fabric material from thegauges, in order for the connecting strands between fabric layers to beoperative to permit expansion of the dual wall fabric, that weft strandsabout which the connecting strands are looped be removed or otherwisediscarded, in that their function of supporting connecting strandportions during formation of the material was completed. Thus, it hasbeen commonplace to remove such dummy picks or weft strands after thecompletion of the formation of the unexpanded fabric material. Oneexample of making a fabric material by a method having some similaritiesto that described immediately above is disclosed in the patent toNeisler No. 2,848,018, issued Aug. 19, 1958.

" SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide animproved multiple wall fabric, wherein connecting strands are providedin the form of reinforcing strands disposed at an intermediate levelbetween opposed fabric layers, connecting the drop threads together.Such connecting strands may be in the weft direction, and may be furtherreinforced by strands disposed in the warp direction at the same level,being connected to and intertwined with the drop threads atintersections thereof, preferably if the ice drop threads form X-shapedconfigurations. Some such intermediate connecting strands may be ofrigid construction, for example of wire construction, for additionallyrigidifying the dual wall fabric for various uses, such as for impartingstrength to the fabric during cement containment.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novelreinforced plural wall fabric.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fabric of the typementioned immediately above, wherein integral connecting strands are inturn, connected to one another at a predetermined location betweenopposed fabric layers.

It is yet another object of this invention to accomplish the aboveobject, wherein such connecting strands extend in both the weft and warpdirections.

It is a further object of this invention to accomplish all of the aboveobjects, wherein the distance between opposed fabric layers isexpandable after manufacture of the fabric.

It is a further object of this invention, to provide a novel fabric ofthe type mentioned immediately above, and the method of manufacturethereof, wherein the expansion of the fabric to a greater distancebetween opposed fabric layers initiates the placement of reinforcingstrands at the desired level.

Other objects and advantages 'of the present invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilledin the art, as well as uses for thesame, such as for containment of various substances, all within thespirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of fabric constructedaccording to this invention, wherein opposed fabric layers areillustrated in their expanded condition, connected by warp strandsinterwoven with the layers, and wherein the warp strands assumegenerally X-shaped configurations, having reinforcing weft and warpstrands connecting their crossing points.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the fabric of FIG. 1, taken generallyalong the line II-II of FIG. 1, and wherein the generally X-shapedconfiguration of the drop connecting strands is clearly illustrated,with the view being that which one would observe looking in the weftdirection.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the fabric of FIG. 1, taken generally along theline III-III of FIG. 1, and looking in the warp direction, and whereinthe intertwining of intermediate weft strands with intermediate warpstrands and drop threads is clearly illustrated.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary schematic view of a pair of opposed fabriclayers, with the view looking in the weft direction, and wherein theconnecting strands are illustrated, looped about weft strands, with theweft strands being illustrated as being maintained in spaced relation bya gauge, and with an intermediate warp strand being illustrated disposedalongside the gauge.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic illustration of the material of FIG.4, after removal of the same from the warp-directed guides of a loom,and with the fabric expanded to its final spacing, and with theinterconnection of the intermediate weft, warp and drop threads beingclearly illustrated.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of an aligned series of harness frames,each carrying a set of heddles which together accommodate the carryingof face and back cloth Warp strands, intermediate warp strands alongsideguides, and drop warp threads, according to this invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, reference is first made to FIG.1, wherein there is illustrated a dual wall fabric, generally designatedby the numeral 10, in

3 its expanded condition, and comprising upper and lower opposed wovenfabric layers 11 and 12, respectively.

The fabric layers 11 and 12 are connected by a plurality of warpdirection drop threads or strands 13 and 14.

With reference to FIG. 2, and to the right-most strand 14 illustratedtherein, it will be seen that the strand 14 is interwoven with thefabric layer 12, at the portion indicated by the numeral 15 thereof, andextends in angular disposition, as viewed in FIG. 2 toward the upperfabric layer 11 in which it is woven integrally therewith at the portionindicated by the numeral 16 thereof, that same strand 14 then leavingthe portion 16 of layer 11, to again traverse the distance between theopposed fabric layers 11, 12, to enter an end portion 17 of the layer12, the strand 14 being represented by the numeral 13' to indicate anoppositely angularly directed connecting thread portion extendingbetween the portion 16 of layer 11 and the portion 17 of the layer 12.The integrally woven connecting strand 13 is similar in the manner inwhich it is connected between the opposed fabric layers 11 and 12, butthe strand 13 is oppositely directed, to cooperate with the strand 14 todefine a generally X- shaped configuration when expanded as illustratedin FIG. 2.

With particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the manner in which thestrand 14 reaches the condition in FIG. 2 is more clearly illustrated.During the weaving process, the opposed layers 11 and 12 are Woven on aloom, with the layers 11 and 12 being separated by a plurality of gauges20 which extend in the warp direction, the gauges 20 being spaced onefrom another in a manner not illustrated, across the machine in the weftdirection. Thus, the spacing of the opposed layers 11 and 12 may becarefully controlled and selected depending upon the particular seriesof gauges 20 utilized.

In the illustration of FIG. 4, all of the threads 21 which extend in theweft direction are woven into their respective layers 11 or 12, with theexception of the weft strands 22, 23, 24 and 25, which are supported andmaintained in spaced relation against their associated fabric layers 11and 12 by the gauges 20, but which are not interwoven or connected witheither of the fabric layers 11 or 12, except perhaps at the selvage (notshown) of the fabric 10, if the same is desired. Thus, the Weft strands22, 23, 24 and are maintained in the position illustrated in FIG. 4,only by the presence of the gauges 20.

A plurality of extra warp direction strands 26 are provided, carried ona loom by a creel or the like, with the strands 26 being disposedalongside guides 20 and being unwoven with either of the fabric layers11 or 12, but being disposed between the weft strands 22 and 23 on onehand and the weft strands 24 and 25 on the other hand.

As the fabric 10 is removed from the guides 20, or as the originalspacing limitation between opposed weft strands 22, 23 and 24, 25 isotherwise removed, the fabric layers 11 and 12 are free to expand in thevertical direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, to a predetermined spacingbetween the opposed layers 11 and 12. With the guides 20 removed, theWeft strands 22 and 25 are free to approach each other along the strandportion B of the thread 13, as the length of the strand portion Bdiminishes due to the expansion of the strand portions A and C of theconnecting thread or strand 13. Similarly, the weft threads or strands23 and 24, about which the drop thread 14 is looped approach each otheralong thread portion E as the thread portion E diminishes due to theexpansion of the distance between the layers 11 and 12, and theattendant elongation of the portions D and F of the drop thread 14.

As the weft strands 22, 23, 24, and 25 approach one another near thecrossing point 27 of the drop threads 13 and 14, they form a cable-likeconfiguration 28,

which is intertwined both with the drop threads 13 and 14 and with aplurality of generally parallel-disposed warp strands 26, which aretrapped between the weft strands 22 and 23 on one hand and 24 and 25, onthe other hand. Thus, the weft strands 22, 23, 24 and 25 cooperate withwarp strands 26 to define an intermediate rigidifying fabric layer,spaced between the opposed fabric layers 11 and 12, a predetermineddistance, dependent upon the number of crossings of the strands 13 and14 across the gauges 20, and upon the desired elevation of the crossingpoints G, H and J during formation of the fabric material 10 on thegauges 20. It is to be noted, that the particular elevation of theintermediate layer formed by the dummy picks or attached Weft strands22, 23, 24, 25, and the warp strands 26 can therefore be controlled, butwill generally be disposed near the middle of the distance between thefabric layers 11 and 12. Accordingly, it is to be understood that theterm X-shaped configuration used herein is not to be construed as beinglimited to a perfectly symmetrical X, but that the cross-over points ofthe different legs of the X-shaped configuration, such as those G, H andJ, may be at any desired elevation, as may be the elevation of thecross-over points of the X-shaped configurations formed by the legs 13and 14 of drop threads, which comprise the cross-over points 27 bedisposed at any selected intermediate distance between the layers 11 and12.

The warp strands 26 may be disposed in groups, to also give a cable-likeconfiguration, or may be singularly or individually carried by theweft-direction cables 28. Alternatively, the warp direction strands maycomprise rigid wire 30, such as steel, pipe, electrically conductivewire, resistance wire for purposes of heating an article to be made by afilled fabric material 10, hollow conduit or any other strand-likestructure, the only limitation being those placed upon the utilizationof the same by the particular loom upon which the material 10 is to bewoven.

With particular reference to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a harnessframe 31, such as would be used with a loom set up for the manufactureof the fabric 10 of this invention, having upper and lower supportingportions 32 and 33, respectively, with the frame 31 carrying respectiveupper and lower sets of heddles 34 and 35, each of the heddles havingeyes 35 for carrying warp strands for weaving face cloth and both cloth,respectively. Those intermediate heddles 36 would be carried on aseparate harness frame (behind frame 31) and would carry the warpstrands 13 and 14. Heddle 37 is also carried on a separate harness frame(behind frame 31) and may be used to carry a strand 26 to form anintermediate rigidifying layer, if desired, of the fabric material 10'of this invention. Thus there is readily seen the manner in which thewarp strands 26 may be maintained in position during the formation ofthe dual wall fabric material 10, with the opposed fabric layers 11 and12 being carried over gauges 20.

It will be noted, that although gauges 20* have been illustrated asbeing the means for obtaining an original predetermined spacing betweenthe opposed fabric layers 11 and 12, any other suitable spacing meansmay be utilized, to maintain the original spacing of the dummy picks orweft strands 22, 23, 24 and 25, which would then allow the dummy picks22, 23, 24 and 25 to approach one another, in the manner illustrated inFIG. 5.

It will further be apparent to those skilled in the art, that anysuitable thread or yarn may be utilized in the formation of the fabric10 of this invention, such as nylon, polypropylene, or other split filmyarns, also including yarns made of fiber glass, polyvinyl chloride andpolyolefin yarns of various types.

Although numerous uses are presented for the subject matter of thisinvention, it is contemplated that one such use would be in the area ofcement containment,

whereby cement, concrete or the like may be inserted between the opposedfabric layers 11 and 12, either in dry form, later to be wetted down inorder to harden, or pumped between the layers 11 and 12 in slurryreform, with the wires 30 disposed therebetween being adapted tostrengthen a concrete structure thus formed, by providing tensioncharacteristics for such a concrete structure. Furthermore, by replacingthe wires 30 with conduit or the like concrete constructions may beformed with passageways for electrical wiring, moisture seepage, or anyof a variety of other uses.

It will further be noted, that in the illustration of FIG. 1, the dummypicks 22, 23, 24 and 25 produce, along with the drop threads 13 and 14,an interweaving of the leno type. It is also to be noted, that a weavesuch as that illustrated in FIG. 1 is adaptable to double shuttleJacquard weaving giving rise to the possibility of weaving a top pieceat a 45 degree right-hand twill, with the bottom piece of back cloth ata 45 degree left-hand twill. Still further, it will be noted from FIG. 2that the X-shaped configurations are arranged linearly when viewed inthe weft direction, but that the stirrup or drop thread placement may bearranged in more random fashion, to avoid alignment of the drop threads13 and 14 when viewed in the weft direction. Still further, any varietyof fibers, tapes, flexible tubing, slit non-woven strands, and wire maybe utilized as comprising the center warp strands 26 of the material ofthis invention.

The use of the material of this invention for cement containment hasbeen indicated as preferred, but containment of other materials such asresins including polyesters and epoxys are also contemplated,particularly with fiber glass strands.

It will be apparent to those skilled in art that various modificationsmay be made in the details of construction of the fabric of thisinvention, as well as in the method of manufacture, and in the usethereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dual wall fabric expandable from a formative height between layersto an increased height between layers, comprising opposed fabric layersintegrally woven with connecting drop threads, each said drop threadbeing woven into each of the opposed fabric layers and providing meansfacilitating expansion of the distance between opposed fabric layers,including first strands intertwined with and connecting said dropthreads at a predetermined location between said layers, and spaced fromsaid layers, with said intertwined and connecting relationship of saidfirst strands relative to said drop threads in combination with thespacing of the first strands from the layers being present only in theexpanded or increased height condition of the fabric layers, whereinsecond strands are provided extending between said first strands inconnecting relation, said second strands being located at saidpredetermined location between said layers defining a planar matrix withsaid first strands.

2. A dual wall fabric expandable from a formative height between layersto an increased height between layers, comprising opposed fabric layersintegrally woven with connecting drop threads, each said drop threadbeing woven into each of the opposed fabric layers and providing meansfacilitating expansion of the distance between opposed fabric layers,including first strands intertwined with and connecting said dropthreads at a predetermined location between said layers, wherein secondstrands are provided extending between said first strands in connectingrelation, said second strands being located 3. The fabric of claim 2,wherein said second strands are warp direction strands.

4. The fabric of claim 3, wherein at least some of said warp directionstrands are of wire construction.

5. The fabric of claim 1, wherein said first strands comprise dummypicks.

6. A fabric material comprising a pair of woven fabric layers havingintermediate unbroken connecting threads extending therebetween, eachsaid thread being woven into each of said layers, from an initialformative height condition; including free threads disposed inwardly ofsaid fabric layers in a direction transverse to said connecting threadsadjacent associated said layers and with said connecting threads beinglooped about said free threads in the formative height condition of saidfabric; including other strands in engagement with said connectingthreads at the juncture thereof with said free threads in the increasedheight condition said fabric and with said free threads being disposedat a predetermined height location between said layers in intertwinedrelation with said connecting threads and said other strands in theincreased height condition of said fabric.

7. The fabric of claim 6, wherein said other strands are disposedbetween said fabric layers during the formative condition of saidfabric, in direction substantially normal to said free threads, andextending between said free threads in connecting relation during theincreased height condition of said fabric.

8. The fabric of claim 6, wherein said other strands also compriseconnecting threads that cooperate with said previously mentionedconnecting threads to cross each other in generally X-shapedconfigurations in the increased height condition of said fabric.

9. The fabric of claim 8, wherein said connecting threads are each inlooped disposition about a plurality of spaced said free threads in theformative height condition of said fabric, said same plurality of freethreads being disposed in intertwined relation about said crossingconnecting threads, in cable-like configuration in the increased heightcondition of said fabric.

10. The fabric of claim 9 including intermediate warp direction strandsdisposed transverse to the free strands and between said fabric layersduring the formative condition of said fabric and extending between saidfree threads in connecting relation in the increased height condition ofsaid fabric, wherein at least one of said intermediate warp strands isof wire construction and of substantially increased rigidity relative tosaid threads of fabric construction.

11. A method of making a reinforced fabric material on a loom, with thefabric material being made to comprise opposed fabric layers withconnecting threads, with the layers being woven in predetermined spacedrelation as determined by warpwise extending spacing means, comprisingthe steps of weaving the fabric with opposed layers onopposite sides ofthe spacing means, integrally weaving connection warp threads each tocross the spacing means a plurality of times of unequal number betweenlocations of interweaving the connecting warp threads at opposite endsthereof with the fabric layers, looping the connecting warp threadsabout weft threads on opposite sides of the spacing means betweenlocations of interweaving the connecting warp threads with the fabriclayers, with the weft threads supporting the connecting warp threadslooped thereabout, and with the spacing means supporting the weftthreads in predetermined spaced relation adjacent fabric layers,discontinuing the weft thread spacing and supporting provided by thespacing means, expanding the fabric to an increased spacing betweenlayers, with the connecting threads simultaneously urging the weftthreads toward predetermined spaced relation between fabric layers, andfixing the positions of the weft threads between the fabric layersrelative to the connecting threads.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fixing step is effected by theweft threads being urged, upon expansion of the fabric, to locationsbetween the fabric layers defined by crossing points of a plurality ofconnecting threads, with the weft threads becoming intertwined with theconnecting threads.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of weft threads areurged together into cable-like configuration during expansion of thefabric.

14. The method of claim 11, including the step of providing extrawarp-direction strands between opposed fabric layers during the fabricweaving, with the extra warpdirection strands being unwoven andextending transverse to but spaced between the weft threads, with theextra warp-direction strands effecting the position-fixing step whilebeing urged toward the same predetermined spaced relation between thefabric layers as the weft threads, upon expansion of the fabric.

15. The method of claim 13, including the step of providing extrawarp-direction strands between opposed fabric layers during the fabricweaving, with the extra warp direction strands extending transverse tobut spaced between the weft threads, with the extra warp-directionstrands being urged toward the same predetermined spaced relationbetween the fabric layers as the weft threads, upon expansion of thefabric, with the extra warp-direction strands being supported andconfined between the fabric layers by a plurality of cable-likeconfigurations of the weft threads, to define with the weft threads atleast one intermediate reinforcing fabric layer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the weft thread spacing andsupporting is discontinued by removing the fabric from warp-directiongauges carried by the loom.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the extra warp direction strands areunwoven.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,039 6/1936 Schaar 1393842,719,542 10/1955 MacIntyre 139409 2,848,018 8/1958 Neisler 139-4l03,090,406 7 5/1963 Koppelman et al. 139-384 3,234,972 2/1966 Koppelmanet a1. 139384 FOREIGN PATENTS 47,529 2/1937 France.

(Addition to No. 806,436) 629,124 7/ 1963 Belgium.

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary 'Examiner

